Traditionally in India, metals such as copper, silver & gold are used for purification of water. It is believed that drinking water stored in copper pots overnight and drinking the same imparts beneficial health aspects.

WHO estimates that four million children under the age of five die each year from diarrhoea, mainly in developing countries. Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa or by parasites are the most common and widespread health risk associated with drinking water. Some of the microorganisms causing waterborne infections are bacteria such as E.coli, Salmonella typhi, Shigella spp., Vibrio cholerae, viruses such as, Enterovirus, Hepatitis A and E virus, Norwalk virus, Rotavirus and protozoa such as Entamoeba histolytica.

A large copper pot still being used in
South India for storing Water

Our study indicated that E.coli gets completely killed within 12 hours of inoculation into water stored in copper pots. It also demonstrated that the continuous presence of the pot was not necessary to cause the kill, as the water stored for 24 hours in copper pots, by itself was able to kill the organisms.

Storing water in copper pots offers the benefit of providing drinking water free from E.coli. Its efficacy on the other water-borne organisms could be explored further. Since copper pots may not be affordable to many, viable contraptions using copper may be designed to provide a cost-effective, decentralized purification method to the rural and urban population.